Ojai Monthly - September 2022

OJAI 09 22 D I S C O V E R M O N T H LY Real Estate & Visitors Guide

Cover Photo: Patty Waltcher, LIV Sotheby’s Realty, 805-340-3774, pattywaltcher.com (see listing on page 2)

FEATURED PRO: JENNY PHELPS NILES BACKYARD BACK-TO-SCHOOL PARTIES SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I SELL? Visitor Information

Events

Activities

Lifestyle

Tips & Tactics. See more at the OJAIHUB.COM

Co ve r on Fe at ur ed

PERSIMMON HILL LUXURY This lovely 5br/4.5ba home in the prestigious Persimmon Hill community is situated on 3.5 acres and surrounded by spectacular mountain views. An over 4,000 square foot main home boasts sprawling great rooms, soaring ceilings, a formal dining room, a temperature controlled wine closet and a massive stone fireplace. The grounds include a spacious guest house and a gorgeous rock pool/spa surrounded by lush gardens and views the mountains. Viking appliances adorn a large, open kitchen, and there are owned solar panels and a water filtration system. This very private property affords the perfect mix of country living and the benefits of town, being mere minutes from all the amenities of Ojai.

420SaddleLnOjai.com

Offered at $4,050,000

PAT T Y WALTCHER

25 years matching people and property in the Ojai Valley

UPPER FOOTHILL FAMILY PARADISE

This beautiful family home on a private drive off the historical Foothill Road combines modern, spacious living with the exquisite natural beauty of Ojai. The park-like setting cradles the living space and large windows allow interior and ex terior to blend, drawing the gaze outdoors and bringing in the light.

The 4br/4ba home includes a formal dining room, a cottage style sunroom and a gym/office. Two primary bedroom suites feature fireplaces and luxurious bathrooms.

The large kitchen has granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Crown molding and floors of wood and tile create warmth and charm. An expansive front porch along with an outdoor BBQ and a stone seating area in back offer many opportunities to entertain while enjoying the beauty and serenity of the lushly landscaped nearly 1 acre lot.

1464FoothillRdOjai.com

Offered at $2,475,000

PAT T Y WALTCHER

(805) 340-3774

pattywaltcher.com

illage marketplace

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TABLE OF CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2022

7

Editor’s Note

11

Calendar of Events

12

Featured Pro: Jenny Phelps: Ojai’s Librarian, Mother

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Seven Ways to Make it in the Shade

21

Ojai Founding Fathers & Mothers

22

Who’s Who in Real Estate

24

Dine Ojai — Restaurant Guide

25

Chef Randy: Presto Pesto: Arugala

27

Sold In Ojai

27

Should I Buy or Should I Sell?

29

Ojai’s Top Ten Hikes

Editor & Publisher / Bret Bradigan Uta Ritke / Creative Director David Taylor / Sales Manager Ross Falvo / Distribution Manager Cover: Patty Waltcher, LIV Sotheby’s Realty 805-340-5774 Contact Us: 805.798.0177 editor@ojaiquarterly.com The contents of the Ojai Monthly may not be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written consent of the publisher.

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25 OJAI 09 22 D I S C O V E R M O N T H LY Real Estate & Visitors Guide

Cover Photo: Patty Waltcher, LIV Sotheby’s Realty, 805-340-3774, pattywaltcher.com (see listing on page 2)

FEATURED PRO: JENNY PHELPS NILES BACKYARD BACK-TO-SCHOOL PARTIES SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I SELL? Visitor Information

September OM.indd 1

Events

Activities

Lifestyle

Tips & Tactics. See more at the OJAIHUB.COM

8/26/22 5:22 PM

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DISCOVER

OJAI MONTHLY CHEMO-THERAPY, OJAI STYLE "A great many people think that they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices," — William James

Bret Bradigan

It's interesting to hear the people who accuse others of being divisive and polarizing, especially around election time. As is well-known among therapists, every accusation is a confession. Consider the sources. Though we are guaranteed to have a lot of new faces occupying city council and school board seats, we do not seem to have the leadership yet to bring us together, either as a nation or as a city.

It wasn't always this way. Back in the day, there was one city cop (when the city had its own police force) named Anselmo "Chemo" Quijada, (pronounced Chummo) who was a one-man gang task force. He knew everyone and he was everywhere, from 1955 until his retirement in 1980. I loved hearing the old-timers talk about Chemo, how he could instantly size up a wayward youth to determine if they were a good kid doing a bad thing, or a bad kid doing bad things. He didn't believe in one-size-fits-all policing. I've written about him before, at a time that feels very similar to now. Sometimes we could all use some reminders that the past is never really past.

Vince France, who was Ojai's police chief in the 1970s and who served for decades on the school board, said "He kept a lot of guys out of trouble by handling things personally. I probably wouldn't have been a police officer except for the fact that Chemo took a personal interest in me. He treated me almost like a son. I could easily have gone the other way." France would speak fondly of his days as the town's rowdy, drinking and instigating various forms of adolescent mayhem. "He would pick me up in a squad car and ride me around until I sobered up, then take me home."

I remember another Chemo story about kids smoking marijuana in the Matilija Junior High School parking lot in the late 1970s. A source said "Quijada made us discard the baggie, then ordered (us) the kids to tell our parents we’d been smoking pot, and said he would call our parents later to make sure his orders had been followed. He did and we had." Names have been withheld to protect the guilty.

Keith Nightingale, another Ojai youth who Chemo took under his wing, said, “I’m afraid Ojai is so large and economically segregated that a ‘Chemo’-type person could not work the magic now that he did then … the best we can hope for is that we find several Chummos working their constituency, recognizing that if one person can be made better, we are all better.”

Nightingale remembers that Quijada provided for Ojai boys a productive outlet for their aggression. “He was acutely aware that Ojai had nothing much for boys, so he directed a boys’ athletic club where Ojai Coffee Roasting is now." Founded by Chief J.D. Alcorn, "it got a pretty big clientele and he staged fights Friday night and Saturday afternoon between boys so they would stay positively engaged.”

A quiet beat cop who rarely drew attention to himself, nearly 1,000 people turned out for a benefit for Quijada when he was suffering from the cancer that claimed his life in 1985. “It was the damnedest thing you ever saw,” said France. “All these politicians and movers and shakers right next to the crooks that Chemo had arrested. I think we raised more than $20,000.”

We are all role models, whether we like it or not. It is good for us in Ojai to remember we have such a rich legacy of role models on which to pattern ourselves. For Ojai to live up to its promise, we have to carry a little of Chemo Quijada’s spirit within each of us.

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Ladd & Kelsey, Architects - The Von Hagen Residence, 1975

22035 Saddle Peak Road, Topanga, CA 90290 Beyond the steel gated entry, a long private drive gracefully ascends through park-like grounds to a broad plateau atop the mountain summit. Like the adobes at Acoma pueblo, living and working spaces hug the ground, and flow naturally across the landscape. From this 13 acre site, the vistas can honestly be characterized as nothing less than exhilarating. From above Malibu, views sweep over the Santa Monica Bay, Catalina, Palos Verdes, Long Beach and downtown LA, and continue to the San Fernando Valley, across the Simi Hills and far beyond to the San Bernardino mountains.

The residence incorporates 4 bedroom suites, a kitchen, butler’s pantry, living room, dining room and den. Every room has views and direct access to the outside via tall glass sliding doors, except the living room which adjoins the dining room that opens to the ocean view and the atrium and pool opposite. The master bedroom suite includes a fireplace, luxurious large bath, dressing room, 2 cedar walk-in closets and a kitchenette. One suite has its own living room with kitchenette. The 4-car carport is attached. Across from the residence is a 3,300 sf. accessory building/showroom/ garage that lends itself to multiple uses. It includes a workshop, kitchenette, laundry, 2 baths and ample storage space.

Christina Hildebrand 310.890.3313

$11,995,000

Exclusively Representing

in Southern California

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310.275.2222

William Turnbull Jr., FAIA - The Tatum Beach House, 1972

12 Potbelly Beach Road, Aptos, CA 95003 First Offering: Of the many reasons this ingenious structure won Architectural Record’s Record House of the Year, perhaps the most important in terms of its gifts to living is its consciously elemental nature. The honesty of simple raw construction materials, now weathered like driftwood, and its glassy openness, enhance the occupant’s direct connection to the powerful natural forces and elements of the beach environment. To quote Donlyn Lyndon in Buildings in the Landscape: “Bill’s approach to the landscape was not one of emulation, but of cultivation. The land, the family, the acts of building, the joys of inhabiting, all merged in Bill’s mind into homes for the imagination. They are buildings that honor human presence in the land.” tatumbeachhouse.com 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1,830 s.f., .29 acres Crosby Doe 310.428.6755

$6,000,000 Ilana Gafni 310.779.7497

Crosby Doe Associates, Inc. 8645 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069 DRE# 01844144

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SEPTEMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS libbey bowl

EPTEMBER 3-4 Aloha Beach Festival Location: Surfers’s Point Shoreline Drive, Ventura Times: Varies Contact: 805-200-8674 aloha@alohabeachfestival.us The fun and fantastic festival returns after its pandemic hiatus workshop. Described as “surfing contest, frisbee contest and music festival” the Aloha Beach Festival is the creation Chipper “Bro” Bell, Patagonia’s goodwill ambassador.

SEPTEMBER 16-17 “Mountain Film on Tour” Time: Gates open at 5 p.m.

Location: Ojai Valley School, 723 El Paseo Road Contact: ovlc.org, 805-649-6852 The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy brings back the Telluride Mountain Film on Tour, featuring the finest adventure and outdoor films, live music, food trucks, beer and wine.

Friday is the special farm-to-table dinner and screening, Saturday the main event.

SEPTEMBER 24 George Lopez Time: 5 p.m.

Location: Libbey Bowl 210 South Signal Street Contact: libbeybowl.org George Lopez’s multi-faceted career encompasses television, film, standup comedy, and late-night television. Lopez can be seen in

festivals

his Netflix original comedy special “We’ll Do It For Half ” which premiered globally last summer.

SEPTEMBER 25

"The Great Art Theft Gala" Time: 12 to 4 p.m.

Locations: Varies, most in Libbey Bowl.

Ojai Art Center Theater 113 South Montgomery Street Contact: OjaiAct.org, 805-640-8797.

The annual Great Art Theft is a key fundraising event for the Art Center, in which participants purchase $100 tickets to enter into a drawing for original art donated

by Ojai artists. Tickets are available now through the date of the gala.

SEPTEMBER 30 Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite Time: 5 p.m.

Location: Libbey Bowl 210 South Signal Street Contact: libbeybowl.org Rock and Roll and Blues Hall of Famer Elvin Bishop first hit the scene with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band back in 1965, playing raw, eye-popping blues, and penning the evergreen radio hit “Fooled Around Fell In Love.” Musselwhite cut his musical teeth alongside Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf and everyone on the South side of Chicago in the early 1960s.

art

Contact: ojaistudioartists.org The 38th annual tour will feature a rare look at more than 70-plus artists in their natural habitat. The Museum will host OSA artists in their exhibit "Perception & Persistence." The tour is free, prior online registration requested.

OCTOBER 15 Ojai Day Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: Libbey Park Contact: OjaiDay.com Ojai comes together to celebrate itself with events, music, vendors, exhibits, food and more.

THURSDAYS “Ojai: Talk of the Town” Podcast New episodes come out Thursday evenings through OjaiHub.com newsletter. Sign up at OjaiHub.com

Ojai Studio Artists Tour Times: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: Varied.

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BY ILONA SAARI

JENNY PHELPS NILES DESCRIPTION

From Brooklyn to Bayside, Jenny Phelps Niles (nee Levy) was raised a New York girl.

Born in Brooklyn, Jenny lived in a largely Jewish neighborhood, her grandparents a few blocks away, and various aunts and uncles nearby. She loved roller skating in 12

OM — September 2022

the ‘hood, went to public elementary school, and “shuffle, ball, changed” in a kids’ tap dancing class. At the end of first grade, however, the family switched boroughs to Bayside, Queens.

JENNY PHELPS NILES

Father, Morris Levy, was in the garment business. He owned a store in a Brooklyn, Puerto Rican neighborhood and spoke fluent Spanish. He was also a “jobber” – buying odd lots from clothing manufacturers that he would peddle to stores in New York City and to clients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. When his store and jobbing got to be too much, Morris worked for a coat manufacturer in the

garment center in Manhattan. Later, he became an abstract artist and poet. “He was a soulful guy,” Jenny remembers.

Jenny’s mother, Bess Barouch Levy, always wanted a career, something rarely “allowed” to married women with children back then. Frustrated, she became proficient in crafts, including crocheting, knitting, sewing, and paint-

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JENNY PHELPS NILES WITH STUDENTS RAISING MONEY FOR THE LIBRARY

ing. Besides the multiple-colored sweaters she knitted for Jenny, “she sewed my Jr. High graduation dress and made costumes for me when I was in any kind of show,” of which there were many. Eventually, Bess insisted on pursuing a career and worked in the secretarial pool for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in Manhattan, but when she realized it was a dead-end position, she quit, and never worked outside the home again.

Growing up, Jenny took piano and ballet lessons and acted in Youth Theater. At Bayside High School, she excelled in academics, making the honor roll and Arista (for academically gifted students), and sang in the school’s concert chorus. After graduating, Jenny enrolled in Queens College where she majored in elementary education and minored in social science, but she had dreamed of being a music or theater major.

“From the time I was very young, I wanted to be on the stage or a singer,” she says. After years of dance lessons, including modern dance, and performing in many theater musicals, she knew singing was her strong suit. “In high school,” she remembers, “the big thrill for me was being accepted to the New York All City Chorus which has a rigorous audition process and included people from high schools all over the city. Their conductor was the famous Peter J. Wilhousky and the chorus was chosen to sing in Carnegie Hall. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice. And Jenny did, singing in choruses and musicals throughout childhood. But she listened to her parents’ advice and chose a “safer” career for a woman: teacher. “I thought I did not have the ambition or single-mindedness required to be a successful actress and wanted a more well-rounded life,” she explains.

In 1967, after she quit teaching and got a job in Manhattan, Jenny moved out of her parents’ house and rented a studio apartment in Greenwich Village. She loved the Village, where she met Chet Phelps, who soon moved in with her. Her parents “freaked out,” as she tells it. “He was not Jewish and I was living in sin! And he was not a doctor or professional, only working a menial job at Barnes and Noble. They insisted we marry.” Manhattan’s City Hall soon officiated.

Chet had been born in England but grew up in America after his family moved to California when he was 12 so 14

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he could undergo open heart surgery at Stanford University.

Now, he wanted to reconnect with his roots, so in 1969, the still newlyweds headed to Europe. With backpacks and sleeping bags, he and Jenny started in England, but soon became hippie backpackers as they “toured” Europe, hitchhiking through France where they harvested grapes for room and board.

After Jenny badly cut her finger, she worked as an au pair, but soon it was off to Spain and Ibiza. Exploring the middle of nowhere on the island, Jenny broke her leg in a serious Vespa accident — a triple spiral fracture.

A kind van driver took them to a nearby clinic which began her long “broken leg” saga.

From Ibiza they ferried to a maternity clinic in Valencia where a doctor “with a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth” x-rayed and set her leg, then placed it in a thigh-high cast. With Jenny on crutches, she and Chet returned to Ibiza and rented a Finca with friends for $30 a month, among an olive grove, carob trees and mountains, while Jenny healed. When the cast was cut down, her leg was still swollen so, after a long and arduous trip to Germany, a doctor informed her that her leg hadn’t set properly and would need to be re-broken, reset and recast. ince Chet held a British citizenship, they decided to avail themselves of England’s National Health system, but the doctor there told her all she needed was “bangs of exercise.” Unsatisfied, they returned to America where she was advised merely to just wear a walking cast and it would heal on its own. It did, thus ending Jenny’s multiple country, broken leg ordeal. It was time to hit the road again. With “Ventura Highway” as their soundtrack, they

drove across country in a truck they named “Toulouse Le Truck,” eventually ending up in Ventura County’s Ojai Valley where Chet’s parents lived.

In love with Ojai’s beauty and bounty, they settled into a cheap 2-bedroom rental amid avocado and fruit trees.

Still embracing a “hippie lifestyle,” Chet found work as a deckhand on a tour boat to the Channel Islands and eventually earned his Captain’s license. Jenny briefly worked as a galley girl then became a “farmerette.” She sold her chickens’ eggs, and raised ducks and rabbits for food and tanned hides. They even had a goat she milked to make cheese to sell. Chet brought home, not the bacon, but the fish. “I became a fishmonger before there was an Ideal or Sea Fresh in Ojai and had a stable of people who were my customers,” Jenny says. “We hosted the valley’s first food co-op out of our garage. Friends brought homegrown vegetables, and we exchanged and sold them our eggs and cheese,” while their son, Jesse, who’d been born in 1973, played with the other children.

By the time Jesse was three, they moved from their little rental to a house in Meiners Oaks where Jesse became one of the first kids in Ojai’s new Montessori school, and grew up to be an accomplished musician and writer.

In 1976, having worked in education and in educational publishing (children’s books) as an editorial assistant at University Society, Reviews Editor at Scholastic Teacher’s Magazine in New York and, as a lover of libraries, Jenny embarked on a career as a librarian, first as a volunteer at the Ojai Library, then as a paid part-time library assistant which morphed into a full-time job as the children’s librarian. She learned puppetry, raised funds for what became a “secret garden” behind the library that was used for story times (which she conducted), and special programs, but was not paid as a full-librarian as she did not have a Master’s in Library Science.

She worked there until 1991 when she became the chil-

LEFT: JESSE & JENNY PHELPS NILES

dren’s librarian at the Wright Library in Ventura where she could qualify for that category’s full-pay without an MLS, through an equivalency program. After Wright closed, Jenny transferred to the Foster Library where she helped raise funds to build a second story on part of the library which was largely devoted to children’s literature, pre-K to 12th grade, fiction and non-fiction.

In 2009, after 33 years, Jenny retired from the library system as a full-fledged librarian with a pension.

Meanwhile, in 1980, Jenny and Chet’s marriage ended, but they remained good friends. That same year, Jenny met Tony Neuron whom she married in 1986 and divorced in 1989. It was time to start anew, concentrating on her library career, raising Jesse, and enjoying life in the valley she loved. Then Richard Niles danced into her life… literally. Though they had been acquaintances for years, it wasn’t until they danced the night away at “Danceaway” at Santa Barbara’s Unitarian Church that they began to grow closer. Eventually, Richard relocated to Ojai and moved in with Jenny. For years, Richard worked as an oncology nursing assistant at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, but as an art major in college, he also pursued his talent as a painter and other mediums, and has exhibited at the Ojai Art Center and the Oaks, among others, and was part of the Art Detour before it disbanded. After twenty-four years of sharing a love of the arts (he also plays piano and ukulele), travel, politics, et al, they decided to walk down the aisle and say “I do.”

Over the years, Jenny was an original board member with Citizens to Preserve Ojai, an early Ojai environmental organization, a board member at the Montessori School, and a volunteer for the Ojai Music Festival. She continues to get involved in non-profits in Ojai and never stops exploring all the wonders that this valley has to offer. For this multi-faceted librarian, her life is an open book.

We love you madly, madly, madam librarian

JENNY & RICHARD OM — September 2022

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DONNA SALLEN

805.798.0516

DOWNTOWN HACIENDA

FOR SALE

$1,971,000

ABOUT THE PROPERTY

Welcome to this lovely Spanish Style Hacienda home located right downtown Ojai and sitting on just shy of half an acre. This home, enlarged in 1997 and fully remodeled in 2007, (including electric and plumbing) has a flexible floor plan allowing for extended family or separate guest quarters — plenty of room for everyone. The cook-centric kitchen, with stainless appliances, granite countertops, wine refrigerator and breakfast bar, is big enough for family gatherings or just a cozy time with your morning coffee. The guest quarters, (1 bedroom, 1 1/2 bathroom) is attached to the main house, (2 bedroom, 2 bathroom) so it can be made part of the house, in-law apartment, or separate space for producing income. Rustic beamed ceilings, Saltillo tiles, 3 fireplaces, and many more.

PROPERTY DETAIL

2 BEDROOMS

2 BATHROOMS

ww w. d o n n a s a l l e n . co m

GUEST HOUSE

donna4remax@aol.com

There's no place like home. Let me find yours.

RANCHO MATILIJA

FOR SALE

ABOUT THE PROPERTY

Located behind the private gates of Rancho Matilija in Ojai, on over 2 acres, sits a Mediterranean Estate. This 5 bedroom, 5.5 bathroom home has a perfect blend of indoor/outdoor living. Wonderful vaulted ceilings throughout, distressed wood and terrazzo stone flooring, lovely granite countertops and hand-painted tiles. As you enter into the home, you are greeted with an impressive grand foyer, a handsome library/den, formal living room and dining room. The great room is magnificent with beamed ceilings, massive fireplace and open to the cook’s dream kitchen. The butler’s pantry, wine cellar and wet bar are perfect for entertaining. Each bedroom has its own en suite bathroom. Large guest quarters; perfect for friends, guests, or extended family. There is a refreshing pool, gentleman’s orchard, owned solar with Tesla Battery back-up, and large outdoor cabana.

PROPERTY DETAIL

5 BEDROOMS

GUEST HOUSE

www. donnasallen.c om

5.5 BATHROOMS

GATED PROPERTY

donna4remax@aol.com

$3,765,000

DONNA SALLEN

805.798.0516

DOWNTOWN OPEN FLOOR PLAN

FOR SALE

$1,650,000

ABOUT THE PROPERTY

You will love your downtown Ojai home with an open spacious floor plan, vaulted ceilings and gleaming wood floors. The kitchen has a large island and is open to the dining and great room. The living room is light-filled and has a beautiful rock fireplace. All the bedrooms are generous in size and the bathrooms have been remodeled. You will love the great room looking out into the very private back yard. Bring your finishing touches to the unfinished building in the back and create a dream space for your guests to come stay and/or Art Studio. Don’t miss this one!

PROPERTY DETAIL

3 BEDROOMS

ATTACHED GARAGE 3 BATHROOMS

ww w. d o n n a s a l l e n . co m 18

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donna4remax@aol.com

There's no place like CREATIVE SPACE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC home. Let me find yours.

GALLERY

WORKSHOPS

POTTERY PARTIES

FREE TOURS

805 272 8760 www.firestickpottery.com Open Daily 10 - 6 Gallery Open to the Public 1804 East Ojai Avenue

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Basics for Backyard Back-to-School Parties

By Aimee Jo Davis-Varela

Back-to-school parties are a great way for kids to get to know other students outside of school and for you to get to know other parents. Aside from everyone making new friends, they are also a fun way to mark the transition between the end of summer and the start of the school year and are just a good excuse to throw a theme party.

Since COVID continues to spread at a steady pace around here, it is still a good idea to do social gatherings outdoors. So, let’s go over a few tips and ideas to make sure your backyard back-to-school party is a hit.

Let’s start with decorations. You can check out Ben Franklin or Ojai Creates for themed party supplies, order them online from a small business on Etsy, or hit up Party City or one of the dollar stores in Ventura to find inexpensive plates, cups, napkins, and centerpieces. Alternatively, you can use school supplies to create your own decorations, such as making crayon bouquets or filling mason jars with colored pencils or erasers.

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Consider using mini chalkboards as place cards and swapping out tablecloths for butcher paper. Choosing butcher paper to cover tables and scattering around some crayons or markers makes cleanup easy while offering a quiet activity for kids who might need a break from the excitement.

Other activities you might consider include craft projects like decorating water bottles or bookmarks, hosting a school supply swap, renting a photo booth with school-themed props, or organizing simple games with school supplies as prizes.

Every party needs party favors, and this is an easy way to make sure kids that don’t win prizes won’t go home empty handed. The perfect party favors for a back-to-school party are inexpensive, age-appropriate school supplies. Kids can always use more notebook paper, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, or other items that are on their classroom’s supply list.

You might also consider water bottles, stickers, or small mason jars filled with school supplies and candy.

OM — September 2022

You might want to put together some fun party favors for the parents too, such as a home spa gift basket to help them include a little self-care in the busy days to come.

Simple is usually better when it comes to food for an outdoor party for kids.

Order pizzas, grill hotdogs and burgers, or set out finger foods they can grab between activities. For something a bit more fun, consider a DIY ice cream sundae bar with lots of options for toppings, cookies for them to decorate before devouring, or having an ice cream truck on site offering sweet treats.

If you opted for mini chalkboards to use as place cards, you might also want to use them to label dishes and list ingredients to help out folks with dietary restrictions.

It is never too early for kids to begin learning about giving back to the community, so one more thing to consider for your party is including a note in the invitation inviting your guests to bring school supplies or books to donate to organizations that assist students in need.

FOUNDING FATHERS & MOTHERS While Edward Drummond Libbey is rightfully regarded among Ojai’s chief benefactors — having been behind the building of such Ojai landmarks as the Ojai Valley Inn, St. Thomas Aquinas Church (now the Museum), Post Office Tower and the Arcade — others have been very influential in shaping Ojai’s identity. Here’s a few: Annie Besant. Free-thinker, feminist and noted Theosophist. Though she only spent a few days in Ojai, she brought Krishnamurti to Ojai, and helped buy hundreds of acres of property in Ojai, (now the sites of Besant Hill School and, along with A.P. Warrington, the Krotona Center) which she called “the smiling vale.” She is considered one of the pioneers of introducing Eastern mystical thought to the West, and was an early advocate of India’s independence. and the labor movement.

Jiddhu Krishnamurti. The spiritual teacher and writer, came to Ojai in 1922, sponsored by the Theosophical Society, though he later broke with that group (“The Leaderless Path.”) He gave talks to many thousands of people each year, in the Star Camps in the oak groves west of Ojai (now the site of Oak Grove School. He once held the Guinness Book of World Records for having spoken to the greatest number of people.

Weather in Ojai Precip.

5.04 5.24 3.35 1.22 .47 .12 .04 .005 .2 .98 1.69 2.95

Average Annual Rainfall:

21.3

Record High 115°

Year 2018

Population: Valley: (est.)

21,300

Record Low 16°

Year 1990

Households::

3,176

Elevation:

Sherman Day Thacher. After coming West to farm and care for an ailing brother, the Yale-educated Thacher realized that he was going to need another source of income. So he founded The Thacher School in 1887. Now one of the most prestigious preparatory academies in the country, its founding creed was “teach a boy to ride, shoot and tell the truth.” Also, in 1896, his brother William founded “The Ojai,” the country’s oldest amateur tennis tournament. Among Thacher’s more illustrious students were industrialist, aviator and film producer Howard Hughes and three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and novelist Thornton Wilder, who wrote his first play while a Thacher student.

OJAI QUICK FACTS:

Ave. Low 36 38 41 43 48 51 56 55 53 47 40 35

Jan Feb March April May June July Aug. Sept.

Oct. Nov. Dec.

Ave. High (°F) 67 67 70 74 78 83 89 91 87 80 73 66

Beatrice Wood. The famed ceramicist’s (“The Mama of Dada”) greatest work of art may well have been her life. The irreverent, avant-garde Wood lived and worked in Ojai for decades until her death in 1998 at age 105. She inspired two classic movies, Francois Truffaut’s “Jules et Jim,” and James Cameron’s “Titanic.” She attributed her longevity to “chocolate and young men.” Her autobiography was appropriately titled, “I Shock Myself.” Many of her distinctive, whimsical, luminous luster-glazed pieces are on display at her former home, now the Beatrice Wood Center, in upper Ojai.

7,461

745

The name “Ojai” is believed to be derived from the Ventureño Chumash word ‘awhaý, meaning “moon.” In 1837, Fernando Tico received a land grant and established a cattle ranch. Thomas A. Scott, who had financial success with oil and railroads, bought the Ojai Valley in 1864 for oil exploration. By 1868, Scott, through his agent Thomas Bard, began selling properties to homesteaders. By 1874, R.G. Surdam plotted out the town he would call Nordhoff, renamed Ojai in 1917.

Ojai is about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 30 miles east of Santa Barbara. The valley is about 10 miles long by 3 miles wide, surrounded by hills and mountains; the rare east-west orientation with a slight southward tilt gives the valley an extraordinary sun exposure; Ojai’s citrus and avocado crops are highly prized. This orientation also gives rise to Ojai as a spiritual destination.

It was due to the resources and organizing energy of Ohio glass manufacturer Edward Drummond Libbey that Nordhoff was rebuilt and renamed Ojai, inspired by the City Beautiful Movement. By 1917, with the construction of the Arcade and Post Office Tower, the town took its present shape.

The city’s self-styled nickname is “Shangri-La,” based on the story that Ojai was the backdrop (later left on the editing room floor) from the 1937 movie as the mystical sanctuary of James Hilton’s novel “Lost Horizon.”

OM — September 2022

21

WHO’S WHO

IN OJAI REAL ESTATE?

TO BE LISTED HERE, PLEASE CALL BRET @ 805-798-0177

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Logan Hall Logan Hall Photography 805-798-0337 loganhallphotos. com

Clinton Haugan LIV | Sotheby’s International Realty 727 W. Ojai Ave. Ojai, CA 93023 C: (805) 760-2092 O: (805) 646-7288 chaugan@livsothebysrealtyca.com DRE# 02019604

Therese A. Hartmann is a local loan consultant affiliated with C2 Financial Corporation, and is a Licensed Broker, California BRE #01048403.

NMLS # 298291. Call Therese today at (805) 798-2158.

Vivienne Moody LIV Sotheby’s International Realty 805-798-1099 vmoody10@ sbcglobal.net OjaiLifestyle.net

Larry Wilde LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Wilde-Wilde. com 805-640-5734

Kristen Currier LIV Sotheby’s International Realty 805-798-3757 thehoffgroup. com

Donna Sallen Remax Gold Coast Realtors Donna4Remax@aol.com DonnaSallen. com 805-798-0516

Amanda Stanworth LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Phone: 805-2188117 • E-mail: amandastanworth77@gmail. com Web: Rooney-Stanworth.com

Patty Waltcher LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Call me for your Real Estate needs.

805-340-3774

Team Deckert Keller Williams Realty Ray Deckert, Broker Associate ContactUs@ TeamDeckert. com 805-272-5218

Ross Falvo Keller Williams Realty “The Ojai Real Estate Guy” RossFalvo.com 805-207-5094

Dennis Guernsey LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

Nora Davis LIV Sotheby’s International Realty OjaiValleyEstates. com 805-207-6177

805-798-1998

OM — September 2022

Dale Hanson Ojai Valley Real Estate 211 E. Matilija Street, Ste. J, 206 E. Ojai Ave. 805-646-7229 dale@ovhl.com

Erik Wilde LIV Sotheby’s International Realty Wilde-Wilde.com 805-830-3254

Don & Cheree Edwards RE/MAX Gold Coast Ojai’s Top Selling Team LivinginOjai.com 805.340.3192 805.350.7575

Kirk Ellison LIV Sotheby’s International Realty KirkEllison@ me.com 805-340-5905

Ojai’s

Hildegard Tallent CalBRE# 02047013 Keller Williams Realty, 109 N. Blanche Street Tel: 805-7981872 email: hildegard.tallent@ kw.com

locally owned and operated magazines.

By nationally award-winning writers and photographers.

Kathy Hoff LIV Sotheby’s International Realty (805) 290-6907 thehoffgroup.com

OJAI 08 22 D I S C O V E R M O N T H LY Real Estate & Visitors Guide

ALOHA BEACH FESTIVAL IS BACK! OJAI COUPLE’S LIVING TREASURES JOURNEY SEVEN WAYS TO GET MADE IN THE SHADE

Cover: Aloha Beach Festival, September 3-4, AlohaBeachFestival.us

Marsha Kaye Home Mortgage Consultant Phone: 805-640-0654 Cell: 805-746-9055 marsha.kaye@homebridge.com OM — September 2022

Visitor Information

Events

Activities

Lifestyle

Tips & Tactics. See more at the OJAIHUB.COM

August.indd 1

7/30/22 4:43 PM

OjaiHub.com 805.798.0177

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AGAVE MARIA Fresh, wholesome Mexican food & drink 106 South Montgomery Street (805) 646-6353 agavemarias.com AJ’S EXPRESS CHINESE EXPRESS Gourmet Chinese food to eat in or to go 11566 North Ventura Avenue (805) 646-1177 ajchinesecuisine.com BOCCALI’S Pizza & Pasta, from our farm to our tables 3277 Ojai-Santa Paula Road (805) 646-6116 boccalis.com

hipvegancafe.com (805) 669-6363 HOME KITCHEN OF OJAI Breakfast and lunch in a warm space 1103 Maricopa Highway (805) 646-5346 HomeKitchenofOjai.com MANDALA Pan-Asian Cuisine 11400 North Ventura Road (805) 613-3048 THE NEST 401 East Ojai Avenue (805) 798-9035 thenestojai.com

BONNIE LU’S COUNTRY CAFE Traditional American breakfast & brunch 328 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-0207

LO>E SOCIAL CAFE 205 North Signal Street (805) 646-1540 nosovita.com

THE DEER LODGE An Ojai legend since 1932 2261 Maricopa Highway (805) 646-4256 deerlodgeojai.com

OAK GRILL @ THE INN Al fresco dining under vine-covered pergola 905 Country Club Road (805) 646-1111 ojairesort.com

FARMER & THE COOK The best of organic Ojai 339 West El Roblar Drive (805) 640-9608 farmerandcook.com YUME JAPANESE BURGER 254 East Ojai Avenue (Arcade) (805) 646-1700 JIM & ROB’S FRESH GRILL Mexican-American & regional favorites 214 West Ojai Avenue #100 (805) 640-1301 jimandrobsojai.com

HIP VGN Vegan sandwiches, salads & bowls 201 North Montgomery Street

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OJAI COFFEE ROASTING COMPANY Salads, sandwiches & superb service 337 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-4478 OJAI PIZZA COMPANY 331 Ojai Avenue (Downtown Ojai) 545-7878 TheOnlyGoodPizza.com OJAI PIZZA COMPANY (Oak View) The go-to place for food & sports 820 North Ventura Avenue OJAI ROTIE Rotisserie, sourdough, winebox 469 East Ojai Avenue (805) 798-9227 ojairotie.com

OM — September 2022

OSTERIA MONTE GRAPPA Rustic menu of Northern Italian fare & seafood dishes.

242 E Ojai Ave, Ojai, CA 93023 (805) 640-6767 omgojai.com PAPA LENNON’S Family owned, original & cuisine 515 West El Roblar Drive (805) 640-7388 papalennons.com

traditional Italian

RAINBOW BRIDGE A community gathering place 211 East Matilija Street (805) 646-6623 rainbowbridgeojai.com THE RANCH HOUSE An Ojai culinary destination for more than 60 years 102 Besant Road (805) 646-2360 theranchhouse.com SAKURA OJAI A locals’ favorite for Japanese food 219 East Matilija Street (805) 646-8777 sakuraojai.wix.com SEA FRESH Serving Ojai for 30 years 533 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-7747 seafreshseafood.com ZAIDEE’S BAR & GRILL Patio & indoor dining with Ojai’s most tranquil views 1033 East Ojai Avenue (805) 646-5685 soulepark.com

CHEF RANDY’S LIFE OF SPICE arugula-walnut pesto salad Arugula is available year-round and, with its peppery taste, is a nice changeup for an early fall salad. I like baby arugula because it is less bitter and more tender. If you can’t find baby arugula at your favorite store, try looking for it at a farmer's market. It makes a difference.

Randy Graham is a noted chef and writer and has been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for over 38 years. Chef Randy has written and published a series of seven cookbooks with original recipes developed over the period 1975 through 2020. He writes for the Ojai Quarterly, the Ojai Monthly, and the California 101 Travelers Guide. His vegetarian recipes are published in newspapers throughout Central California under the header, Chef Randy. He and his wife, Robin, live in Ojai, California, with their dog Cooper. Robin and Cooper are not vegetarians.

Quick + Easy

Vegetarian

Fall

SALAD INGREDIENTS

2 cups baby arugula 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 cup toasted walnut pieces (divided) 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2-teaspoon kosher salt 1/4-teaspoon pepper 12 ounces farfalle pasta 3/4-cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese 1/2-cup golden raisins INSTRUCTIONS

Whirl together arugula, zest, garlic, 1/4 cup walnuts, the oil, salt, and OM — September 2022

pepper in a food processor until blended, scraping inside of bowl as needed.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving a scant 1/4 cup of the water—return pasta to pot and add pesto, stirring to coat. Stir in the remaining walnuts, cheese, raisins, and reserved pasta water.

Tip: for a vegan salad, leave out the cheese.

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Dale Hanson

Ojai Valley Real Estate (805)646-7229

B.R.E. 01229522 Notary Public

dale@ojaivalleyrealestate.com Call me for your real estate needs.

Residential, commercial, or business opportunity.

Great location for commercial business or restaurant. Large parking in back. The building is updated and very clean. Forced air and heating, 3 private offices. A bath room and small wet kitchen. Separate attached unit with 3/4 bath and private entrance and address. $775,000

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OM — September 2022

SOLD IN OJAI Homes Sold Last Month

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RECENT HOME SALES

206 South Ventura Street #B, 2 bed, 2 bath, 902 sf, $530,000

159 Burnham Road, Oak View, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,774, $1,289,000

27 Olive Street, Oak View, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,198 sf, $755,000

883 Moreno Drive, 3 bed, 2.5 bath, 2,623 sf, $1,320,000

112 Summer Street, Oak View, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,368 sf, $835,000

33 Reposo Drive, Oak View, 5 bed, 2.5 bath, 2,262 sf, $1,525,000

80 Watkins Way, Oak View, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,296 sf, $875,000

9650 Old Creek Road, Oak View, 3 bed, 2 bath, 2,539 sf, $1,690,000

311 Canada Street, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,261 sf, $910,000

539 Del Oro Drive, 3 bed, 2.75 bath, 3,234 sf, $2,350,000

98 Portal Street, Oak View, 1,746 sf, $912,000 2364 Burnham Road, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,824 sf, $949,900 711 Drown Avenue, 3 bed, 2 bath, 8,318 sf, $1,100,000 818 Grandview Avenue, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,274, $1,230,000

545 Del Oro Drive, 4 bed, 4 bath, 3,944 sf, $2,575,000 12717 Blue Heron, 4 bed, 2.75 bath, 3,742 sf, $3,850,000 723 Oak Grove Court, 4 bed, 4.5 bath, 5,300 sf, $3,850,000

Whitman Architectural Design

www.whitman-architect.com Providing the highest quality custom residential & commercial Architectural Design and Construction Services.

805-646-8485 “We Shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”

Winston Churchill

THERESE HARTMANN PROVIDING HOME LOANS FOR OVER 25 YEARS!

C2 FINANCIAL CORPORATION IS THE # 1 BROKER IN THE NATION! MORTGAGE EXECUTIVE April 2019

MAGAZINE

Offering reverse mortgages and so much more!

(805) 798-2158 | HEARTLOANS@SBCGLOBAL.NET | HEARTLOANS.COM 236 W. OJAI AVE., SUITE 105, OJAI CA 93023 This licensee is performing acts for which a real estate license is required. C2 Financial Corporation is licensed by the California Bureau of Real Estate, Broker # 01821025; NMLS # 135622. Loan approval is not guaranteed and is subject to lender review of information. All loan approvals are conditional and all conditions must be met by borrower. Loan is only approved when lender has issued approval in writing and is subject to the Lender conditions. Specified rates may not be available for all borrowers.

Rate subject to change with market conditions. C2 Financial Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Mortgage Broker/Lender. BRE #01048403 NMLS #298981

OM — September 2022

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should I stay or I should I sell now?

Fire Sales, Capitulations & The Corrections

By Therese A. Hartmann

A client called me today about co-signing on a loan for her son to purchase a first home down in San Diego. Wanting to protect this retiree, I mentioned that the son might want to hold off a little bit as San Diego is one of those areas where a crash is being predicted.

Unlike Ojai, with its limited housing and pristine neighborhoods (that folks from more metropolitan areas drool over), San Diego is only beginning to head towards an eventual bottom. For that area, it could be time to pause for now.

Have you ever heard the phrase “fire sale”? It originated in Ancient Rome.

When a building caught fire, the politician/entrepreneur Marcus Licinius Crassas would show up along with a bag of money and his slave army of firemen.

Homeowners had two options, they could sell their home for that bag of money or watch their wealth burn to the ground.

This is an early example of capitulation and why good old Marcus ended up being the second richest man in the Ancient Roman Empire!

Capitulation doesn’t happen often but it does happen. It’s also referred to as “panic selling” and is marked by a more than 10 percent decline in home value in a short time — generally a month. You see panic selling in larger cities with a lot of tract housing, and not so much in areas with unique homes.

A crash, in contrast, is designated such

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when the home price index falls by more than 10 percent but over a 52-week period. It’s typically accompanied by strong declines in the economic macro during a recession. These crashes can and do affect specific areas and cities but generally, you’ll see areas like Ojai remain more immune.

But could we see a correction? The definition of a correction is a gentler drop in the market that shows less than a 10 percent drop within a year. These corrections happen more often than you might believe and are natural to the real estate cycle, which occurs approximately every 12 years.

is very, very important to take a good look at the area you plan to invest in. Do your homework and take your time with investigating areas.

And oh yes, be sure to get pre-qualified first to understand the total monthly outlay and the impact buying a home will have on your financial future. It’s THAT important.

These are typically predicated by rising interest rates, poor economic conditions and less demand. Now, to offset that, we would also need to consider the current low inventory, almost zero vacancy rates (it’s impossible to find rentals right now) and the more vetted mortgages that could prevent massive foreclosures from happening.

This is not to say there will be motivated sellers who are willing to drop their prices right here, right now so this is reflective only of the general temperature of the current market. So, when you hear reports coming out about a coming real estate crash, I hope this article will have helped you get clear on what that means.

I have no doubt there will be areas in the United States where you will see crashes and even capitulations which is why it

OM — September 2022

Therese A. Hartmann has more than 20 years’ lending experience. She is a Licensed Broker, California Dept. of Real Estate #01048403, NMLS # 298291, affiliated with C2 Financial Corporation. For a free consultation, call Therese today at (805) 798-2158.

OQ | HI K I NG M AP 1

SHELF ROAD 3.5mi EASY | Elev. Gain: 200 ft | Overlooks downtown Ojai.

2 VENTURA RIVER PRESERVE | 7mi EASY TO MODERATE | Elev. Gain:

520 ft (Wills-Rice). Trailheads at end of Meyer Road, South Rice Road and Baldwin Road. Great for birding.

5 HORN CANYON 5.5mi STRENUOUS | Elev. Gain: 1,600 ft.

Trailhead near Thacher School’s gymkhana field. Goes to shady stand of 80-foot tall pines.

8 ROSE VALLEY 1mi EASY | Elev. Gain: 100 ft

Trailhead at Rose Valley Campground. Leads to a spectacular 300-foot, two-tiered fall.

3

4

PRATT TRAIL 8.8mi STRENUOUS | Elev. Gain: 3,300

GRIDLEY TRAIL 6-12mi MODERATE | 3 mi to Gridley Springs

6

7

COZY DELL 2.2mi MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 740 ft |

MATILIJA CANYON 12mi MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 1,200 ft |

ft | Trailhead off North Signal Street. Goes to Nordhoff Peak. Clear day? See forever.

(Elev. Gain: 1,200 ft) 6 mi to Nordhoff Peak.

Trailhead at north end of Gridley Road.

Trailhead 8 miles north of Ojai on Maricopa Highway.

Short, intense hike that also connects to trail network.

Middle Fork. Trailhead at end of Matilija Road. First 1.5 miles of trail well-maintained, the rest a scramble.

9

10

SISAR CANYON 22mi STRENUOUS | Elev. Gain: 4,800 ft to

SULPHUR MTN. 22mi MODERATE | Elev. Gain: 2,300 ft |

Topa Topa Bluffs. Trailhead at end of Sisar Road. Trailhead on eastern side of Sulphur Mountain Road.

Only for experienced, f it hikers.

Views are unsurpassed.

OM — September 2022

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We know Ojai.

5 gated, private acres close to downtown with wrap-around porch, 5 bedrooms, media room, wine cellar with tasting room, library, gym/massage room, 4 fireplaces, pool and spa, sauna, family orchard, olive tree orchard with approximately 30 trees, Bocce court, putting green, volleyball court, chessboard, gazebos, pasture, private well, 150-year copper roof, copper gutters, RV parking with hookups, six-car garage and workshop, and more.

Price Upon Request | RoyalOaksRanchOjai.com

Magnolia Cottage - Remodeled three bedroom, three bathroom with large backyard, RV parking, fruit trees, enclosed carport, outdoor living areas, and mountain views close to bike trail, schools, shopping, restaurants. $825,000

Montana Circle Retreat - 1961 ranch-style home close to town with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, remodeled kitchen, separate art stu dio, covered patio, stone fireplace, and mountain views. $1,695,000

Nora Davis

BRE License #01046067

805.207.6177

nora@ojaivalleyestates.com

.

h u-

We’re lifelong residents.

Enjoy resort-style living at this luxurious, private, 10-acre estate in Upper Ojai boasting gated entries, seven-bedroom main house with two guest wings and three fireplaces, pool house, swimming pool with beach entrance and wading pool, spa, gym, artist’s loft, lighted tennis court, horse facilities, outdoor kitchen with pizza oven, patio fireplace, family orchard, three-car garage + two-car garage, and spectacular mountain views. $5,595,000 RocaVistaRanchOjai.com

Just a few blocks from downtown, Gabbert Haus is a beautiful example of Streamline Moderne architecture and was thoughtfully remodeled to incorporate modern amenities without losing its original charm. Just some of its features include four bedrooms, wood and travertine floors, and quartz counters, vanities, and fireplace hearth, as well as outdoor kitchen and living areas. $1,995,000 GabbertHaus.com

The Davis Group ojaivalleyestates.com

G a b r i e l a Ce s e ñ a T H E N E X T L E V E L O F R E A L E S TAT E S E R V I C E S Re a l t o r ® | L u x u r y S p e c i a l i s t Unwavering commitment to my clients’ satisfaction.

D R I V E N B Y PA S S I O N F O R T H E W O R K I D O !

805.236.3814 | gabrielacesena@bhhscal.com LIC# 01983530

Gabrielacesena.bhhscalifornia.com © 2020 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates LLC. 32

OM — September 2022